Dear Supergirl
by Late 2 The Party 2
Summary: It's what Supergirl the tv show leaves out- a whole segment of the population that needs saving. Chap 2 "What do you know about needing saving, Supergirl?"
1. Chapter 1

This is non-canon to the extreme for many reasons. Don't freak, it's gonna be okay.

"Maybe the laws of this city won't protect her, but I will!"

The last words she'd spoken, and the sound of her fists colliding (with deliberately controlled restraint) with the skin and bones of the man standing before her still echoed in her mind.

But right now Supergirl was sitting on a hard metal bench in a far room of the DEO, being lectured to like a child.

Hank Henshaw was pacing the floor, slowly, each footfall echoing; a tactic that Kara knew was simply meant to draw out the time and hammer in how wrong she was, to make her feel bad, guilty, remorseful of what she'd done. It was a tactic every parent, even her own, used. But neither Kara Danvers, Kara Zor-El, nor Supergirl felt any guilt. Because what she did wasn't wrong.

Hank finally stopped pacing, hand to his head and turned back to face Kara, his face grim. "What were you thinking?!"

It had been a while since she'd seen Hank this angry. The dark black of his DEO uniform and the silver gray wall behind him cut his image into a sharp silhouette. Every muscle in his neck was working as if trying and failing to swallow his anger.

He inhaled,again, trying to contain his anger, but it didn't work very well. "You cannot, you _can not_ go out there and be some sort of... vigilante!" He finished, his dark brown eyes meeting Kara's gray eyes with urgency.

Kara clenched the edge of the bench with both hands, bending the metal while leaning towards him, not convinced. Her blond hair flew forward in front of her face as if she were swinging from a swing.

"That's what we do every day!" She protested. "We protect the people of this city from harm-"

"From _alien_ harm," his voice pierced through her own.

"From harm!" She raised both her hands. She was furious, even more furious than she'd been at the monster she'd just stopped. A human monster was one thing, but her friends and her own sister thinking that she was wrong to stop him? It made her blood boil with fury. "What does it matter who it's from?"

Kara saw Alex watching her from the corner of the room, shoulders pressed against the wall, one leg bent and foot to the wall, propping herself up. She knew Alex had called in Maggie to "carefully explain the law to her", she didn't need super hearing to catch that either.

In her mind she saw the man again, with balled fists the size of Christmas hams, coming at a woman half the size of Alex, pieces of a restraining order still falling down through the air around them.

"This city, this country," Kara pushed herself up to standing, her red cape falling and draping around her at the movement, " this entire planet is in much more danger from abusive boys and men than it is from an entire planet of aliens!" Her voice cut through the silence in the room like the crack of a whip. But that was probably because she was screaming so hard the room was vibrating.

Henshaw shook his head and simply walked to the furthest side of the room.

In the momentary silence of the two aliens, footsteps could be heard walking down the hall towards them.

Maggie, Kara realized. Her steps were a confident but easy stride. The confidence in her abilities allowed her gait to be relaxed and easy. Or maybe it was just because she knew she wasn't walking into danger. She had to give the woman credit, Maggie Sawyer defended the city in skin that wasn't at all bulletproof.

It probably wasn't difficult to figure out which room they were in, as neither Hank nor Kara were restricting themselves to "an inside voice".

In moments Maggie was on the threshold of the room, leaning with her shoulder and side of her head against the doorframe, as if she did this every day. As if she were bored with it.

"Many women would say that men are an alien race," she added to Kara's comment. She pushed her brown hair back with one hand, glancing around the room with a gaze that missed nothing. "Throughout history the most horrific crimes were committed by men. Sickening torture techniques? Men. Wars? Started by men. Raping and pilaging villages? Men. Guns? Created by a man."

"And this is helpful how?" Hank turned his anger on Maggie, and stared at her.

Sawyer completely ignored him.

"Most of the women in prison right now are there because they were defending themselves against a man." She'd straightened up off the door frame and now stood erect, her chin tilted back in defiance and defense, as if expecting someone to say she was lying.

"You see?" Kara pounced on this. "You see?" She felt relieved and finally not alone. Even Alex hadn't supported her.

Righteously she stood tall and announced with authority of a woman who'd lived her entire life on Earth, exposed daily to the societal conditioning of the female gender, the entitlement of men, as well as the expectation that part of her job as a girl and woman is to prop men and boys up and make them feel good about themselves, whatever they'd done. Not to mention taking blame for their ill choices.

"This world is in far more danger from its own male population than anything else."

"Kara," Alex's usual voice of concern and condescension came from the side wall, "you're creeping me out right now. You kind of sound like your Aunt Astra...and that is frightening."

Appalled that her sister seemed to think all this was okay, she gave Alex a withering glare.

Maggie corrected Alex almost immediately. "It's more frightening that she's right," Maggie's voice was one of weary experience. "And disturbing that you don't support doing whatever it takes to stop violent men."

"And that you're not immediately taking my side," Kara was visibly hurt by this fact, but kept her distance from her sister as if she could now no longer trust her. As if she'd be unpredictable in her apathy to protect innocent people.

Maggie slid down the nearest wall till she was crouching on the floor.

"Did you know there are schools now that have mandated a policy where if a girl is asked out by a boy on a date or to the prom she cannot say no to him?" She waited for that to sink in before continuing.

"Know why they implement this policy? To keep boys from having a reason to shoot up the school. The latest school shooting this year all you heard was, "If the girls had been nicer to him, instead of rejecting him, this wouldn't have happened."

The look on Alex's face turned from confident, to looking as if she might vomit.

Kara picked up Maggie's train of thought and continued, looking directly at her adopted sister. "You've lived your whole life on this planet, in this country. You're so used to men and boys behaving this way that you don't see it for the wrong that it is. Because it is that normal to you." her voice trailed off as she remembered,

"But I'm not from here. I wasn't raised in an environment where women had reason to fear men."

" When I first came here, and for years, I didn't want anything to do with the males of your species. They were frightening, dangerous. They took joy in hurting and humiliating the girls at school at every opportunity- and no one said a word against it."

She took a breath, remembering the pain she'd felt in her heart those first experiences, then the rage, then helplessness because no one would let her stop it. With a shake of her head, fanning her hair out from her face, she continued,

"But, when the girls would get upset about it, they were immediately told to calm down, or worse told that boys abuse them because they like them. Abusive behavior being encouraged and equated with love and caring for someone else? That behavior would be inexcusable on Krypton!"

Alex's gaze was downward now, and she'd allowed her angled hair to cover her face. Was she ashamed? Guilty? Or just didn't like hearing the truth, Kara was unsure. But one thing was certain, the conversation was making her sister uncomfortable. Good.

Sawyer pushed herself up from the floor then, took a few steps forward and looked at Kara with genuine curiosity. "Your home planet wasn't like this? The men there didn't beat and rape women and children?"

Supergirl's blue gray eyes widened, she was horrified by the very thought. As if to protect herself from even the idea, she body instantly moved itself backward from Maggie. "Of course not!"

"On this planet," Kara spoke again, "women are conditioned to accept abuse, conditioned to remain oppressed by men, or risk their lives, or the lives of their children."

Alex finally seemed to realize just what Kara was talking about, and she didn't like it.

"I am not conditioned to accept abuse!" Alex's head shot up, her red-brown hair falling backward from her face. She stared aghast and furious that anyone, let alone her own sister who had seen her in action, putting her life in danger daily, could think that.

Maggie stepped in then. Gently, she strode across the metal floor towards Alex. Lovingly, but perplexed, she lifted Alex's chin, held it between her thumb and forefinger.

"The oldest hate crime on this planet isn't against homosexuals, or male minorities, it is against women."

"I can't believe a woman as strong as you are," she began, her voice soft, "isn't aware of the brainwashing all us girls go through. You can see it in the last election. Why do you think women would choose to vote for a man who has stated point blank that he abuses women?"

She released Alex's face and let out a frustrated sigh. "I can see I need to direct you to some websites and take you to the nearest women's rally. You can be as strong as you want, physically, but that doesn't take away from the detrimental mental conditioning you grew up with in this society."

"I don't have any mental conditioning." Alex's tone was softer now, and she spoke as if she didn't want to believe it. "I wasn't conditioned to accept abuse." Her tone was almost pouting.

Maggie backed away from her with a smile. "Every girl and woman on most of the planet has been. You have been, I have been. Misogyny and violence against women and girls is in the fairy tales read to us as children, the movies children see, the music children listen to, and the words and actions of politicians and judges who say they want to protect women, but let most women's rapists, stalkers and abusers go free."

Kara stared at them all. Maggie and Alex now in the center of the room, Hank standing somewhat apart, hands on hips, simply watching. This life lesson for Alex was great, but Supergirl needed to get back out there, now. She didn't need her super friends group to find her crimes now. The crimes she was looking for wouldn't be on police radar, not until it was too late, anyway. It would be up to her ears alone to listen and hear these crimes in action.

"I was not raised to accept abuse," Alex insisted again. "My parents taught me to be strong!"

"Really?" Maggie smirked, enjoying this. Her tone got Kara's attention back to the room. It seemed as if her sister were about to be proven wrong. Kara decided she'd stay and watch, it might be worth it.

"When you were a girl what did you say when a boy says "I'm sorry" to you?"

Agent Danvers shrugged. "It's okay," the answer was automatic.

"And what does that tell him? Think! Words have a lot of power, Alex." Maggie was still locking eyes with Alex as if willing her to finally see what she and Kara were both well aware of.

"That... it's... okay." She spoke the words slowly, knowing even as she spoke them that they indicated that both Kara and Maggie realized something she hadn't.

"That they can do it again," Maggie tone was calculated dark, and honest. "And whatever your parents taught you wasn't enough to override the avalanche of information you were getting from all other sources without even knowing it.

It was possible it might be worthwhile to stay for this. But only a short while.

Already knowing the answer Kara asked Maggie,

"And what would happen if she or any woman didn't say "it's okay" in response to a man's apology?"

Officer Sawyer made a single laughing cough of a noise, and smiled as if Kara had cracked a joke. "Or... why does she have to look apologetic when a man asks for a date or a dance and she's going to turn them down?" She shrugged. "It's all the same. Why can't she or any woman just say no and leave it at that?"

"Because by the time she'd hit middle school, she'd learned from experience and the media, that making a boy or man upset is dangerous. You have to protect a boy's feelings constantly, to protect yourself from harm."

Alex drew in a breath and suddenly looked defeated.

"Because if she was lucky, he'd just scream at her about what a bitch she was. If she wasn't lucky, he'd hit, beat, rape or even kill her. It happens every day."

Maggie sighed and shook her head sadly, her formerly bright eyes looking at the metal floor, "If I had a dollar for every time we got a call from a hospital, or a woman and heard it was because she'd provoked him by saying no to him, or turning him down for a date? I could be living on a tropical island now enjoying my retirement."

Head cocked to the side and looking ready for a fight Sawyer looked at both Alex and Hank. "Are you gonna tell me it's not true? Or, "all men aren't like that?"

Hank spoke first, but slowly and with surprising respect. "I don't think I have a place in this conversation."

Alex's voice was almost a whisper when she spoke. "No, I know it's true. I'd like to pretend it isn't though."

Maggie sighed wistfully, but her jaw hardened as if she were trying very hard to get a rein on her emotions. Softly, as if only speaking to herself she added, "I can't count the times I've thought of what a better world this would be if women were the ones in power, and men were the ones humored and 'allowed' to contribute in office. If the police were all or mostly women, the judges were women, the people in Congress, the Senate, the White House were all women..."

"If a group of women were allowed to police and dictate the health and reproductive rights of men," Alex smirked.

Kara for one didn't need this lesson. She wasn't human. And she hadn't been conditioned in any way to accept abuse from boys or men- because on Krypton men and boys didn't commit crimes against the opposite sex.

"Okay that's enough of this!" Tired of all this talk, when she could be out there helping more people Kara strode forward. "This Earth Feminism 101 for Alex's sole benefit isn't getting us anywhere! The people of this planet need my help! Yet I'm standing here! I have to stop these people!"

"How?" Alex asked.

The martian director of the DEO laughed. "Didn't you see the footage? By taking matters that should be handled by police into her own hands."

"You disagree with this?" Alex asked him. "With what she did?"

"Don't you?"

"Not...entirely."

"This is not our job, Agent Danvers."

"No, but it is mine," Supergirl answered. "If I can't fight for the safety of innocent people, who will?"

"But how are you going to help them?"

It frustrated her that she didn't know. "I don't know! But I will! I just will! I'll figure something out!"

"Killing them is out of the question," Hank reminded her, semi-helpfully.

Maggie held her chin in her hand and shook her head, doubtfully she replied. "I don't know... my father used to say, there's only one way to stop a pedophile..."

"Lemme guess," Hank looked sidelong at her, "the answer is not going to be compassionate psycho-therapy." His voice rumbled through the air reverberating against the walls.

"You dig a six foot hole, put the pedophile in it, then fill the hole back in."

Hank rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Lovely."

Kara sighed, frustrated.

"Okay, so I can't kill them, I won't kill them. But... it's not a crime to hit them, to make them think twice before putting their hands on a woman or child again." She nodded to herself, happy with her lawful compromise.

Alex looked at her, wincing, her dark eyebrows balancing in the middle of a scrunched up forehead. "Actually... it is."

Kara stared at her, baffled. "Nobody's pressed charges against me-"

"Yet," both Maggie and Alex answered.

Maggie nodded. "It's assault."

"But these men do it!" She cried. "And they get away with it! All the time!"

"Even when a girl or woman is covered in bruises , when the evidence is right there-"

"Nothing happens," Maggie's voice was a low growl of internalized rage. "I could mention the dark side of the Me Too movement," she offered, "but I think I'll save that for another time."

"Again, _not_ helping the situation Officer Sawyer." Hank/ J'onn's voice rumbled. " We cannot have Supergirl metting out justice to everyone she thinks has wronged someone! We have laws for a reason, courts of justice for a reason."

"A completely inadequate justice system created to favor males over females, and ensure that unequal balance is maintained," Maggie was ignoring Hank again and clearly rattling a laundry list of societal wrongs,

" overworked social workers who would normally be removing endangered children from their homes, and a government, a whole planet, run by men who benefit by keeping women oppressed. And benefit even more by convincing the women to believe they aren't oppressed, that in this century they are equal to men, when all the evidence points otherwise."

"I wouldn't kill them," Kara interupted, too impatient to let this debate continue. "I can't hit them, so what can I do?" She looked at Maggie.

"Legally, you can do next to nothing. You cannot do anything unless you suspect or better yet see actual proof that someone is being harmed. You call and report it to social services, who will take maybe a month or so to look into it or send police..."

"By that time the person could be dead." Alex was staring straight at her.

"Help me," she appealed to her sister, grabbing both Alex's hands in her own, "help me help the people in this city that need it the most!"

"I"... her mouth stayed open but no sound came out, "I wouldn't even know where to start."

Frustrated and frankly disgusted by her sister's lack of action or ideas, Kara dropped her sister's hands like they were kryptonite, and began pacing angrily around the room like a caged animal.

"Don't forget." Maggie called out, more for Kara's benefit than Alex's, "educating women, helping them realize the myriad of ways they've been conditioned since birth to accept a lesser role in society, a role that serves men, and keeps women vulnerable, accepting blame when they are blameless; is one of the best things we can do."

She looked to Alex. "Just keep thinking of all the women who truly believe that you can't get pregnant from rape. Or the women who make excuses for their sons when they find out they've raped their daughters."

Supergirl kept pacing and rolled her eyes, answering back with contempt, "It's the very least thing we can do! And meaningless when people's lives are in danger!" The last sentence came out like a roar as she continued to pace the room, only stopping once, to punch her fist against the metal wall.

Alex had been watching her sister, finally able to put words to a vague idea she'd had. She looked at Maggie and hissed,

"Can you imagine having the physical powers that she does and not being able to use them to protect vulnerable people?"

Maggie raised both eyebrows. "Maybe you grew up in Happyland USA," she paused and winked at her because she knew Alex hadn't...exactly. "But I've thought quite often about what women would do if they were able to physically overpower the men in their lives."

"But, if you were her?" She looked pointedly at her sister, whose chest and shoulders were heaving with rage and unused adrenaline, and as she'd finally had it with all of them, stormed past Maggie and Alex to the door and began running down the hall to the nearest exit.

Once Kara was out of sight, Maggie made a face and answered Alex. "I'd kill a loooot of people."

Alex lowered her gaze to the floor, "Me too," she whispered.

* * *

If you have gotten this far, congratulate yourself! I know this chapter was intense and full of a lot of info. The next chapters won't be nearly as long, don't worry. Like many writers I post new chapters only after I know that a good portion have finished the latest chapter. That means yes, I go by reviews. They are by far the most accurate way to gauge how many people are reading. Not to mention they give great ideas for continued writing.


	2. Chapter 2

"Miss Grant!"

There was no physical response to the call. Cat Grant remained seated at her desk, undisturbed, staring casually reading through information at her desk. As if people actually yelled at her on a daily basis and she'd become immune. Finally, she spoke.

"That," she took a deliberate breath in, not taking her eyes off her reading, "sounds like a demand for attention," she exhaled and paused, "not a request," Cat Grant finished, her words clipped but leisurely, like one used to power, not looking up from the ipad in front of her. She inhaled and added, "I do not respond to shouting, either."

Supergirl flew through the open window and landed in front of Miss Grant's desk.

That got her attention.

Her mouth opened in surprise, it was undeniable, but then she recovered herself, taking off her reading glasses, puckering her mouth in distaste and glaring at Supergirl.

Kara panicked. The way Cat was looking at her now, was exactly the way she looked at Kara Danvers every single day.

Maybe I forgot to wear my suit? She glanced down, afraid, but found she was indeed wearing it.

Cocking her head to the side, Miss Grant then looked up at her with a half grin on her face. "Well, here you are, Supergirl, come into my office like Peter Pan flying into Wendy Darling's room."

Kara's eyes lit up, and she barely suppressed a smile of glee. Peter Pan had instantly become her most beloved book on Earth- once she'd learned to read English well, that is.

Miss Grant took a deep breath in through her nose, and tried to look as if she were looking down at Supergirl.

"What," she finally spoke, "can I do for you?"

Kara felt a lot less like Supergirl in that moment and more like inept Kara Danvers, loathed assistant. Finally she steeled herself, pushed her shoulders back and reminded herself that she was not Kara Danvers at that moment, she was Supergirl. And Supergirl was respected by all, including Cat Grant. With authority she replied,

"I need your help." She was not reluctant to ask for this, the way the humans of Earth often were. Asking for help and being the one asked for help was an honor on Krypton.

Cat's blonde eyebrows raised in unison. "My help?"

Kara wasted no time. "I need to speak to the people of the city, the way you do, so that everyone can see and hear me."

Cat Grant stood up. A doubtful and suspicious pair of eyes met Kara's. "And what is it that you'd like to say?" Her voice was icy on the word 'is'.

Kara was shocked. She'd just expected that Cat Grant would just have someone immediately point a camera at her. She hadn't expected to have her motives questioned.

"Close your mouth, you look like a fish," Cat announced.

She looked Supergirl up and down. "You didn't simply expect me to point a camera your way and let you speak, did you?" She raised one eye brow. "I am the leader of the largest media outlet in this city, I can't have you spouting off, in my building, in my office, on my television station and website, where you clearly represent me, without knowing what you're going to say, now can I?"

Kara's mouth was open again. But then the image of that hateful man's face flashed before her eyes, and allowed her words to be strong and urgent.

"I want to speak to the public, let the women and children in this city who are being abused know that I am here for them, and want to help them."

As if she didn't care, or hadn't heard her at all, Miss Grant walked away from her desk and continued to walk casually around sparse but richly decorated office. As she did so, she spun the frame of her glasses in her mouth muttering, "Don't forget boys and men. If you don't say that, they'll say you're sexist." She sighed and added, "even though statistically men and boys are over ten times less likely to be abused, certainly sexually abused, if that's what you're getting at, than women and girls."

After a moment of silence, she asked Supergirl,

"How do you plan on helping them?"

She answered honestly. "I don't know."

But," she paused, "I want to let the people know that I care, and that I am trying to help them. Sometimes knowing that there's someone out there who cares about you can help a lot."

Cat Grant squinted at her and took several steps towards her until they were nose to nose.

"You know a lot about needing help, do you, Supergirl?"

Kara felt goosebumps forming on her skin. Something was going very wrong.

Cat Grant continued, not moving a millimeter.

"Do you know what it's like to be smaller, weaker than everyone else? To be around people so strong they can and do break your bones like a Thanksgiving wishbone? To know that absolutely no one is coming to help you?"

Kara opened her mouth to answer but Grant spun on her heel and walked away as if she'd become disinterested with the topic. Her tone changing to nonchalant, she added as a throw-away,

"Of course that's just a plot line for any lifetime movie, but it serves the point."

"Still..." Grant paused and looked back at Supergirl.

"What do you know about suffering?"

An answer came to Kara immediately. "I know what it's like to be alone."

She paused for a long time, thinking. "I know what it's like to watch people be hurt and not be able to help them. And I do know what it's like to have your arm broken-"

Miss Grant let out a single laugh and shook her head.

"By a thing, no doubt. It's quite another story for a person to intentionally break your arm than it is to break it skiing or bumping into a building mid-flight."

Kara sighed loudly. This was not going the way she'd hoped at all.

"Miss Grant, I want to help!"

"And that's the only thing you have to offer? A desire to help? Or, at least offer words of...encouragement albeit a lack of action?"

"At the moment, legally, yes."

Cat's eyes opened wider at the statement and she regarded Supergirl as if they were both in on some secret.

"At the moment, legally, yes," Miss Grant repeated her words slowly while staring at Kara and smiling like a Cheshire cat. Then she walked back around towards her adding, "I see you've done at least part of your homework. As much as I'm sure you'd like to fly off and laser off the genitalia of rapists, you realize you can't do that," she paused ominously again,... legally."

Cat laughed then. "You could do that, couldn't you?"

"I don't know if my aim would be that precise," Kara wanted to laugh, but didn't.

"Oh," Cat threw out a dismissive hand and was walking away from Supergirl, towards her office door, "don't worry about that. Many women have done the same, with a lot less precision."

"Will!" She snapped, "Get a camera in here!"

Kara jumped at the sudden screech, and realized Cat Grant staring at Winn. Quickly she ran to the door. "I believe she's speaking to you, young man."

"Oh," Winn fumbled at his desk, then clumsily stood up.

"Uh.. Miss Grant? You know I'm not a camera person, I'm an IT-"

"You're an it," Cat interrupted him waving a hand in the air, "I know, I don't care. You did this before, you'll do it again. All you do is point a camera for crying out loud, how hard can that be?"

Winn headed off to find the nearest camera. Cat Grant looked directly at Kara's empty desk and screeched,

"Kira!"

Winn was back in a flash.

"Um, I think she's on break?"

Kara almost put a hand to her face, pained by Winn's lack of acting skill.

"Is she?" Cat Grant smiled a frightening smile.

"Uhhh," Winn glanced at Kara, then quickly away, "Yes I think so Miss Grant, but I could probably find her for you."

"Mmm." she nodded. "I'll bet."

Kara watched Miss Grant's shoulders begin to shake. It took a moment for her to realize that Miss Grant was laughing. Frightened, Kara stepped away.

Then in a fleet matter of moments, Winn had the camera hooked up facing Miss Grant's desk.

"Go, go," Cat pushed Supergirl towards her desk. "Do your little speech, so we can get this do-gooding over with."

It was at that moment Kara realized she had not prepared for this. She actually had not prepared something to say. She was so focused only on the need to help, the need to speak out, she didn't think of any small details, like what to say. Especially when she went on national television and spoke to the world.

"Um, uh, yeah,yes" she smiled to hide her nerves, "of course." She forced herself to walk over to the center of Miss Grant's desk, realizing her mind was completely blank. What was she going to say?

She swallowed hard. Winn gave her an encouraging smile. Kara took a deep breath in and released it, trying to steady her nerves, which were definitely not made of steel.

When she could hear the words that man had been screaming, she knew she'd be okay. She'd simply speak the truth. She nodded at Winn. He flipped a switch then pointed at her.

"People of National City-" Kara stopped herself. That wasn't who she wanted to address.

"Women and girls of National City"

Cat Grant slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned audibly.

Kara licked her lips and tried again. Anything is better than nothing.

"I want you to know that you are not alone. I know that you cower in the dark. I know that people who save they love you are hurting you. I know it seems like nobody cares and no one will help you."

"Oh no," she heard Cat mutter, "don't go there, Supergirl. You can't save them all. Don't promise what you can't deliver."

Kara was standing in the middle of Miss Grant's office, but she couldn't see it. She knew both Cat and Winn were there, but even with her superior vision, she couldn't see them either. Nerves kept her from seeing anything but the camera directly in front of her.

"I can't save you all, but there are people in this community, in this country that want to help you. They may not always have the resources to do it," she admitted angrily, "but they want to help you."

She took another deep breath, picturing one battered little girl or woman who might be online right now, or watching tv and seeing this. Seeing her and needing help.

"I want you to know that I see you. And I want to hear from you." She didn't know where this idea came from, but before she knew what was happening the next sentence flew out of her mouth.

"Write me a letter, and attach it to a balloon. A helium balloon or a big air filled one. If you let it go into the air, I'll see it and be able to read your letter. I care. And I want to hear your story."

"Get their address," Cat muttered.

"Put your address on it, if you can. You don't have to include your name, but it would help. And if I get your balloon, I'll try my best and get you help."

Supergirl took another breath in and made a concious effort to still her shaking. She knew why she was shaking too. It was because taking about abuse in this country on this planet, was seem as the most shameful and weak thing you could do. In the United States it was more forgiveable to be an actual rapist than it was to be a rape victim speaking out.

"You deserve to be safe. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to live your life without shaking in terror when you hear footsteps heading towards you. You deserve to be safe from whoever is hurting you. And whoever is hurting you deserves to be in jail. For life."

She looked at Winn and he turned off the camera.

"I might not have added that last part," Cat spoke. "In fact, I wouldn't have said... well frankly just about everything you did say. For your sake you better hope "it's the thought that counts".

Kara moved to the window to leave, wondering if she'd done the completely wrong thing.

"Oh, and Supergirl?"

She paused at the windowsill and turned back to Miss Grant.

Cat smiled her biggest fake smile. "While you're flying around out there, could you see if there are any extra case workers, social workers, and therapists? And also orphanages and domestic violence shelters. Where do you think these people are going to go, once you've saved them?"

It felt like someone drained her face of all life.

"But don't worry," the fake smile continued, although now she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself, "you've helped at least one person today! I'll be going to bed tonight happy in the knowledge that I am not you."

Now she knew. She'd done the exact wrong thing. She could hear Hank now, "What were you thinking?"

She flew through the afternoon sky, not even caring that she was supposed to go back and play the charade of Kara Danvers. She flew right to her apartment, where she immediately closed every curtain, turned off every light and threw herself into bed, cape and all, covering herself with a comforter to escape from this horribly unjust world.

Several hours later...

"Kara! Kara, wake up!"

A hand was shaking her- hard.

Kara put a hand to her face, realizing it was only Alex who'd obviously used her emergency key to get inside her apartment.

"What?" She groaned, still half asleep, wanting to get back to being fully asleep.

"I cannot believe you! If you'd bothered to run this past me, or, I don't know anyone, you would have been told that this was a terrible idea !Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She muttered the words sleepily and yawned.

She heard Alex taking loud, angry steps away from her.

"It's two o'clock in the morning," Alex spoke again, seeming annoyed. "And I and the DEO have been watching the skies all afternoon. Nothing happened. So we went home. I started to make supper for Maggie and me around 8pm when it was just starting to get dark outside. We ate, then went to bed. I got up about an hour ago, looked outside, then high-tailed it here. Now GET UP!"

She flung one of the curtains open as Kara sat up. "Maybe this will refresh your memory."

Kara blinked, bleary eyed, then yawned, and stood up rubbing her eyes. Still half asleep she stumbled towards Alex at the window.

At the window Kara gasped.

"You remember now?" Alex was glaring at her.

Outside her bedroom window Kara could see balloons, many, many balloons. She opened the window and looked out up and down the street, then flew out higher to see better.

Shocked she spoke as if in a dream, "There's hundreds of them!"

* * *

Any ideas? Directions you'd like to see the story take? We writers thrive on ideas, and some of you have some great ones!


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